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paveing sand??
- Thread starter chilled84
- Start date
Might be worth getting hold of some and sticking it in a bucket with a bit of tap water to see what it does to ph, gh and kh. Some sands look fab but mess with water chemistry at first. As you live so far south you will have softer water than most and this may be more of an issue for you than it would be for those of us in really hard water areas.
Manado supposedly contains calcium deposits so they suggest washing it in warm water.
So I guess you should wash it in warm water, do lots of water changes at first and enjoy your plants for while before adding anything too fussy about water chemistry and it'll all be fine
So I guess you should wash it in warm water, do lots of water changes at first and enjoy your plants for while before adding anything too fussy about water chemistry and it'll all be fine
Most fish don't care as long as the changes are slow or subtle. Major PH swings can mess with your filter and some delicate softwater fish (cichlids, discuss and some inverts don't like sudden changes in water hardness). Your average fish just adapts over time.
Large ph swings are harmful to all the fauna in the aquarium and a ph crash (below 6.5) can reduce the filter bacteria. ability to handle toxins. The sand should only reduce the ph if there is something acidic in it. It is more likely to contain minerals that will dissolve and raise the hardness of the water.
Minor ph fluctations happen in the day to day running of the aquarium it is only the big changes that are harmful.
My last post was late at night and should have been clearer. Sorry.
Minor ph fluctations happen in the day to day running of the aquarium it is only the big changes that are harmful.
My last post was late at night and should have been clearer. Sorry.
Hi,
Ph fluctuations, large or small, have never been shown to induce any problems in fauna. I've kept fish at ph 4 without any issues. It's normally the phenomenon that is responsible for the ph fluctuations that is the problem. CO2 injected tanks have massive pH swings from night to day without any issues.
Cheers,
Ph fluctuations, large or small, have never been shown to induce any problems in fauna. I've kept fish at ph 4 without any issues. It's normally the phenomenon that is responsible for the ph fluctuations that is the problem. CO2 injected tanks have massive pH swings from night to day without any issues.
Cheers,
Hi all,
I had a go with some of this bought as "Kiln dried Silica Sand", and designed for brushing into block paving. The only problem I found was that it was very fine, with minute particles. "Swimming pool filter sand" is a better grain size if you can get it.
cheers Darrel
I had a go with some of this bought as "Kiln dried Silica Sand", and designed for brushing into block paving. The only problem I found was that it was very fine, with minute particles. "Swimming pool filter sand" is a better grain size if you can get it.
cheers Darrel
Hi all,
The "Kiln dried paving sand" has been a good substrate, but it took a long time to stop clouding the water, and if you initially had a thick layer of it I'm pretty sure you would have "problems" with anoxic areas, certainly at least until the plant root zone "rhizosphere" expanded. You can't vacuum or clean it with a syphon (I don't anyway) and I'm pretty sure a more powerful filter would have kept it in suspension a lot longer.
cheers Darrel
The "Kiln dried paving sand" has been a good substrate, but it took a long time to stop clouding the water, and if you initially had a thick layer of it I'm pretty sure you would have "problems" with anoxic areas, certainly at least until the plant root zone "rhizosphere" expanded. You can't vacuum or clean it with a syphon (I don't anyway) and I'm pretty sure a more powerful filter would have kept it in suspension a lot longer.
cheers Darrel
